Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1887-04-16

No. ne troubled waters of literature |
{&(o - fAr from tranquillized, and the
nU0 Was still going on - to whether
- taght had arisen Tor religion or for INF
nGvs . 70 whssher Prof Royce were an or
11SI fhooaogiau or . rAtionalistic philoso- |
- h1msolf essumes Q now role differ.
~ - either Of these. by appearing as q
4 ,1eusian, and giving US the most dsshing,
Il s1nnopsndent and stirring volume yet issued
- thAt standard set OF state histories, the
~ knerican Common wealth" seriea His
ANocey OF California attacked some OF the
S6ot popular idols Of American tradition,
- exttnguished the halo that had shone
\ ~ yearB around the heads Of more than one
Of The heroes Of the early days Of Californian
histcFy. With almost cruel zeal he tried to
strip every shred Of romance from the char
hCeefs and deeds of those golden days, and
% substitute In its stead the severely sober
oarb Of plain. unvarnished history.
And now, 10, this fierce icopoclsst snd
olorn historian again takes us by surprise by
suddenly turning in his tracks, as it were,
and writing q novel His 4" Feud Of Oak
Held Creek" is just ont, and don't doubt
1t win be widely read and attain to consider.
able popularity.
In one sense Prot Royce's spring from
histoTisn OF California to this novel Is not as
great - was his jump from philosophy or
theology, whichever 1t was-to history. For
z " The Feud of Oak ktieid Creek" Is tale OF
California LIE, and expressly illustrative of
that life as 1t was up to about SIX years ago.
As such 1t Is no doubt very valuable. 1t
docs for modern California, II ! may call it so,
what Bret ha-te's unrivalled earlier tales
have done for California Of thirty.tive or
Z forty years ago. We get what is no doubt as
dc ,trn 4gaf., asf tna ssf.ss
types OF recent society in San Francisco, as
Bret Harte gave US OF society at Roaring
Camp, Poker Fiat and Five Forks And we
probably need it, lest we here in the East al
citizens as we blame Europeans for thinking 8
Cf America and American civilization.
SO far, then, Prot Royce's novel may be
taken as kind Of illustrative appendix to
his history depicting for US the blusterin 9
but good. hearted old pioneer, Alonzo Eldon,
enjoying mis- millions, and planning great
things with them his ply ysicslly, intellec-
tually and morally degenerate son, Tom,
type OF the generation that has fallen heir to
the pioneers wealth without having done
anything TO earn it; the tramp scholar,
school teacher, journalist Escott, enticed
thither during the gold fever, Disappointed,
embittered, yet retaining some Of his tastes,
principles and lofty ideals the sdysehhturer,
BoscSSs,,z GEsczaqgASsss Ss4 ssrewd, living Oh
vs1fne weaknesses and folies OF his fellow men
II gives US, moreover, glimpse at California
Journalism, politics, law and its administers
tion, aud many other phases OF life there.
For all this, suppose we ought to be crate
full. But / confess am not. Bret Harte'.
gold miners, roughs, gamblers, with all theil
uncvilizsd wildness, are more pleasant tt
contemplate, and more wholesome by far
than the characters represented as typical o
California society OF to- day in Prot. Royce,
boch, especially when presented in the half
cynical, hsif-mocking, never serious toni
i felt pervading the book from cover to cover
1t may be meant for I" raciness," dash,-bu
TO me 1t Is simply Mephistopheian. 1t ut
terly spoils the book for me. Traces OF th,
same married even some portions OF this au
thor's history. l have no reverence for idols
Laugh and sneer rs much as you pie ,se v hit
tearing them down. But curl not the lip
nor touch with irreverent hand, the pure anc
lofty ideals OF human lie. II may be
smart" but it is neither philosophy, his
tory nor true art
l imagine, however, that Prof Royce
doesn't care tg for art At least he writes
In style that seems almost studiousIy, dc
family, inartistic- 1t Is often inelegsnt, even
sipshod, sometimes cumbersome, though
not often = for usually he writes clearly
enough and forcibly, too but 1t Is the un.
polished plainness and force of the dashing
newspaper writer, not OF the finished and
conscientious literary artist. 1t is u iault in.
excusabIe in book like his.
81 1t appears rather odd, too, that he should
pay so little attention to literary grace /; for
the school OF fiction which, in one respect at
least he affects, notably lays all possible stress
on style, and in fact owes the greater part OF
Its popularity jus. to this, that its style is the
most graceful, pure, elegant, and highly
nj Is, in lonu lima inn
for example, any one OF Mr.. James's or Mr.
Howells's later novels written in the style OF
Prot Royces! Who would read them The
one nsidsratIon that makes 1t possible to
read their long pages OF interpretive analy-
sis, and endless description and dissection OF
motive and character, without falling asleep
over them, Is the charm OF their language,
the exquisite music OF their words and sen.
tences. Now just this Is wholly lacking in
"The Feud Of Oakheld Geek" which
would consequently be intoleraDly dull,-for
II sbounds in page alter page of analysis and
description a Ia James,-if 1t were not re-
deemed from this by the novelty of its char
acters, and their vivscity a. well. They are
not people such as We meet every day, "Bos-
tonians" OF " Lemuel Barkers," but such as
are found only in California, perhaps some
VIII say only In Royce's California unusual,
sulking, n certain sense fascinating, Jso-
PIE. We cannot Gelp being Interested in
them despite style and analysis they keep
us on the alert, expectant, almost excited, sll
suO Hihe- luat no DOUBT Is one reason, /
hofe the main reason, Why this book, not.
wilhstsnoing lis defects, Is so eDtranc!ugly,
aosoIp,neiy interesting, for that 1t Is this no
one VIII deny who has once commenced
reading ~ nor VIII ne stop reading it till ne
has read its last " lrd.
The other reason, l am afraid, Is this, that
1t paDders to that morbid aud sickly sen,i.
timent Just now especially prevalent among
novel readers, which finds such . piauant
charm In tales OF Illicit love, or at least of
love bordering as nearly as possible on the
forbidden aud sinful For say what you please,
& the love of Harold and Mrs Tom Eidon is
nothing short OF immoral and criminal, That
she never loved her husband, was wronped
and neglected by him, was OF Q Ate
nature, and all that, does not alter the plain
fnCtA Nor does the unnatural circumstance
Z, that she banished her lover from her sight
g and did not marry him even after death rid
heg Of her husband. All this dossn't sfiec
y the real case, which is that sfter she was mar
yiod TO E,don, no matter under what circum
Z. stances, she WAS sworn aud morally bound 70
~ trRe and faithful to him, and that instead
of bylng this, she fell msdly in love with
f smother man, and he with her, and they
mutually confessed their love 1t may be
petursl, true to life, and all that but what oi
NJ. 1t still 10 sthically nothing short Of
1 adultery.
That Prot Royce 20 manages the circum.
slnpces and events OF his story, and 70 dc.
noTihes hts characters, - 70 make oas pity,
Snimoat sympathixe with, and try to excuse